With the deadline for submissions to the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar race fast approaching, Italy — the winningest country in the history of the category — has set Jonas Carpignano’s A Ciambra as its entry this year. IFC’s Sundance Selectsacquired North American rights to the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight drama last May in what was the first sale for a film to be boosted by the emerging filmmakers fund spearheaded by Martin Scorsese, his Sikelia producing partner Emma Koskoff and RT Features’ Rodrigo Teixeira.

A Ciambra stars Pio Amato and Koudous Seihon. It’s set in a small Romani community in Italy, where 14-year-old Pio is in a hurry to grow up. When he sets out to prove his worth to his brother, a series of events will forever change the way he sees the world.

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IFC Films also distributed Carpignano’s debut, Mediterranea, which won a National Board of Review prize and received three Indie Spirit nominations.

Italy has previously won 11 FL Oscars and three honorary prizes. Outside the wins, it has had 17 nominations. The last Italian film to take the Oscar was Paolo Sorrentino’s 2013 Rome love letter The Great Beauty.